Cabinet reviews drought-hit areas in State

Cabinet reviews drought-hit areas in State
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

AURANGABAD, MARCH 2: Over 20,520 villages in the State, where the annual crop yield is less than fifty per cent, have been declared scarcity-hit by the State Cabinet, which met here on Thursday.

The Cabinet also decided on a series of measures to tackle water scarcity in the villages by pressing in more tankers, creating additional works under the Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS), and softening regulations on rigging bore wells.

Addressing a press conference here, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said a decision would be soon taken on another 2500 Rabi villages, reported to be under the threat of a severe drought.

Of the 20,519 villages, where scarcity has already been declared, the maximum ie 7,248 fall in Amrawati division, followed by Nashik -- 4,702 villages, Nagpur -- 3,954 villages, Aurangabad 2,490 and Konkan 1,684. Pune is the least affected of all revenue divisions with just 441 villages hit by the scarcity.

Deshmukh said the rate contract for tankers was being increased to encourage more water contractors. In the tribal Dhule and Nandurba districts where it was not possible to supply water through tankers, simple wells would be allowed to dug. The Cabinet also waived off the mandatory contribution of ten per cent of project cost from local bodies wherever the State Government takes up drinking water supply projects. Workers employed on EGS schemes, in addition to the wages they are entitled to would be given ration supply also, the Chief Minister said.

While all district collectors have already been provided with sufficient funds to bear the cost of water transportation either by tankers or bullock carts, the government would make available any additional funds that may be required for the purpose, the Chief Minister said.

In all, so far, Rs 70 crore had been set aside for the purpose, Deshmukh said.

Special care was being taken to cater to scarcity-hit villages located in remote areas like, Akkalkot, Melghat and Dhalgaon, the Chief Minister said.

As for the villages falling in newly-created districts, officials from irrigation, ground water land survey would be deputed to supervise works, the Chief Minister said.